Theological Studies And The Bible What You Need To...

1 Theological Studies And The Bible

Theological Studies And The Bible

What You Need To Know

John Mwafise Woloko

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written

permission from Treff-End.

November 2017

www.nevergiveup.treff-end.com

[email protected]

For Edification and Comfort

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, INC. Used by

permission. All Rights Reserved.


Table of Content

Introduction …… 3

Chapter 1: The Bible ……..5

Chapter 2: Theological Studies……9

Chapter 3: The Role Of The Holy Spirit……..14

Chapter 4: Differences Between The Word Of God And Theological Studies…20

Chapter 5: How To Choose A Good Theological Institution…. 27

Conclusion………………36


Introduction

Knowledge is very important in life. In this world, there are many branches of

study with endless possibilities of knowledge exploration and acquisition. The most

important thing, however, is not the haphazard acquisition of knowledge. Some people

love and adore knowledge and are never satisfied with acquiring new knowledge. Most

end up becoming intellectual slaves due to their lack of control over what they should

know. Rather, the most important thing is to acquire essential knowledge from the right

sources and make appropriate use of it. Of what use is it to be super knowledgeable in

many fields without being of use to humanity and the world? Furthermore, the impact

you have in this world depends on the type of knowledge you acquire and its sources. As

of the way things are right now, there are two main sources of knowledge and inspiration

– God and Satan – but these two sources are divided into uncountable sub-sources of

knowledge. God inspires good and profitable knowledge which if properly applied

positively impacts people and their communities while Satan’s knowledge is used to

devise all sorts of crafty things that bring harm to people’s lives and the world. Most

often, bad knowledge is nothing more than a distortion of good knowledge by certain

individuals for selfish purposes.

All fields of knowledge can be profitable to mankind but the worldly person’s use

of knowledge in most cases is a catastrophe. For instance, the discovery of mathematical,

physical and chemical equations can be used to invent energy, machines and innovative

solutions to ease human labour and facilitate living on earth. However, the same

equations are used by some scientists to manufacture missiles, guns and dangerous

weapons that are responsible for the loss of thousands of lives every day on the planet,

mass destruction and pollution of the environment.

God, the source of good knowledge, inspired a Book called the Bible to guide

humans especially His children to acquire appropriate knowledge about Him and

everything else. However, many children of God have become corrupt in their thinking

and understanding of God’s message due to their endless thirst for haphazard knowledge.

The refusal of many to depend on the Holy Spirit for proper guidance to knowledge


acquisition and understanding of Godly revelations, unfortunately, leads to many

children of God adding satanic ideologies to Godly revelations. This confusion is the

reason for the endless polemics in the Christian cycle today.

These few words will guide the sincere inquirer and assist him/her in making the

proper distinction between what God has revealed in the Bible and how His revelations

inspire and guide believers to explore everything about Himself revealed in the world.

May the Lord show you the appropriate approach to knowledge acquisition and

guide you to acquire pure and profitable knowledge in your life in Jesus Name!


Chapter 1

The Bible

There are not many people in the world who haven’t heard of the Bible.

Unfortunately, millions of people who have heard about it haven’t endeavoured to

explore its origin and content but the Bible still remains the most popular Book in the

world. According to many sources, the Bible is the best-selling book of all times although

such an attribution doesn’t remove or add to its value. It was one of the first major books

to be printed around AD 1450 and though some parts of it were written as far back as

3500 years ago (Dr Saneesh Cherian), the Bible remains the most widely used Book today

with millions of printings and sales every year. It is one of those books you can easily

find in a home even though its owners don’t make full use of it. It is also common for

Bibles to be distributed for free by some organizations and associations whose mission is

to propagate the Word of God to every soul and nation of the world.

People obtain the Bible for different reasons. Many Muslims, Atheists and

apologists from other worldviews purchase it in order to study its content and attempt

to refute its claims. Christians obtain the Bible because they believe and know it contains

God’s Word for humanity. Few people obtain Bibles out of curiosity while for some, it is

a prestige to have one on their library shelves.

The Bible is unique for various reasons; first, it contains trustworthy claims. The

Bible is the only inspired Book in the world which provides an effective and efficient

solution for sin and a real and personal relationship with God. No other book in the world

comes close to revealing practical divine mysteries as there are in the Bible. Second, the

historicity of the Bible is sufficiently authentic and scientifically verifiable. Third, the

wisdom revealed in the Bible is pure, genuine and objective and has a supernatural

impact on those who hold to its claims. Fourth, the promise, birth, death, resurrection

and soon return of Jesus Christ, the intercessor between God and sinful humans, are the

central messages in the Bible. Fifth, only through the Bible can we understand the true

nature of God. God reveals Himself in His inspired Book as One, Yahweh. Yet, He is


also seen in the Bible as the Triune God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy

Spirit). This Mysterious and All Powerful God has troubled and continues to trouble

many a learned intellectual and philosopher of our time but He, however, reveals

Himself to those with simple hearts and the meek.

The Bible is inspired by God and He used about forty ordinary men in the society

to record His inspiration in writing over a period of about one thousand five hundred

years.

Two amazing facts about the Bible are that it is united in content and theme. In

content, because, despite being inspired and written over a long period of time by many

writers who in most cases didn’t know each other and lived in different generations and

locations of the world (Africa, Asia and Europe), the Bible does not have contradictions.

In theme, because, despite the diversities associated with all the writers, the main

message of these writers gears towards revealing Jesus Christ as the Saviour of mankind.

If one carefully considers the historicity of the Bible and its unity in content and

theme, one can only arrive at the obvious conclusion that God is indeed the true Inspirer

and Author of the Bible. In fact, there is no way people who never knew each other living

thousands of years apart could hold to the exact theme despite the evolution of ideas

and the changes in worldly contexts except by the help of a Supernatural Hand. These

people were undoubtedly inspired and led by God

to note down what He desired for humanity. The

Bible itself explains why its revelations are

consistent and also reveals the motives in God’s heart for engaging in a Bible project;

‘‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for

reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,

thoroughly equipped for every good work’’ ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

‘‘…Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit’’ (2 Peter 1:21).

The Bible contains God’s

inspired message to mankind.


The message of the Bible is without contradiction and united in theme only

because God is its true Inspirer and Author. God inspired this Book in order to reveal

His doctrines to humanity, teach, correct and instruct His children about things

concerning righteousness. The Bible, therefore, contains God’s inspired message to

mankind.

The Bible is divided into two main parts – The Old and New Testaments. The Old

Testament contains thirty-nine books while the New Testament contains twenty-seven

books and the whole Bible is made up of sixty-six books. The New Testament is the

fulfilment of the Old Testament and one Testament cannot be sufficiently understood

without a proper understanding of the other.

The books of the Bible are inspired and recorded in diverse forms which include

but are not limited to historical events, laws, poems, prophecies, lamentations, gospels,

letters, proverbs, parables, stories, spectacular events and miracles, visions and future

revelations.

The Bible was originally written in three different languages. The Old Testament

was written in Hebrew while the New Testament was written in Greek which was the

international language at the time of Jesus and Aramaic which was the common language

of the Near East until the time of Alexander the great (6th century B.C. to 4th century B.C)

(Dr Saneesh Cherian). Today, parts of the Bible have been translated into over 2062

languages and the whole Bible into more than 200 languages (Dr Saneesh Cherian)

without it losing any of its intended meaning.

The Bible is far from being a boring book to study and apply. In fact, it is the most

inspired and important book of all times. It is God’s Book to humanity and in it God

claims thousands of times to be the one speaking. The Bible contains divine laws no

human being has ever been able to measure up to, principles, guides and blessings to

assist any believer to live a fulfilled life on earth. Its claims are recorded for all classes of

people without exception and there is no human being or worldview on earth with

wisdom that attains the one revealed in the Bible.


Biblical wisdom is unique in that although it is easy to understand, it cannot be

exhaustively captured by any human being on earth. Men and women who are chosen

and trained by God to be His ministers are vital in propagating His Word to the whole

world but even without the help of someone an unbeliever who genuinely and humbly

seeks the truth can study the Bible and be convicted of his/her sins and convinced to

make a personal commitment to serve God. This capacity of the Bible to convict people

is possible because the Holy Spirit is the One who works behind the Word of God to

convict sinners of their sins and urges repentance. Those who live by the Word of God

revealed in the Bible are always filled with joy in all circumstances.

In history, there are people who have attempted to destroy the Bible or change its

content in vain. Others have lost their lives either in preserving it or in attempting to

propagate its revelations. Even today, many people oppose the knowledge of the Bible

for no objective reasons. Some, due to their subjective approaches to biblical contents

continually harden their hearts to the Bible’s supreme wisdom while few who are

instruments of mind manipulation have dedicated their whole lives to rebel against its

genuine content. Curiously, all these people pass away but the Word of God stands tall.

The Bible is the only Book God has promised to preserve forever because He is its

Inspirer and Preserver.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away’’

(Matthew 24:35).

This is only a very short description of the Bible. However, it is enough to give

you a picture of what the Bible is, why it is important and to lay the foundation for the

topic under consideration. May the Lord reveal mysteries to You as you keep reading in

Jesus name!


Chapter 2

Theological Studies

Earlier, we learned that the Bible is a Book that contains God’s will for humanity

and was written by certain people God himself inspired over many generations. Now, we

will attempt to briefly describe Theological Studies.

There are many definitions of theological studies in Christianity but all converge

to one – an attempt to understand the nature and will of God. To put it in very simple

language, ‘Theological Studies’ is organizing God’s revelations in the Bible and all other

collected pieces of evidence pointing to Him in a manner that clearly exposes His nature

and desires for creation. It is an attempt to understand God, an aspect of Him or His will

through organizing information and collected pieces

of evidence.

Christian entities have approached the study

of God in different ways over the years which has led

to the development of many types of Theology.

Biblical Theology attempts to obtain

knowledge about God primarily from His Word in the Bible. Natural Theology tries to

derive knowledge about God from nature while Dogmatic Theology seeks to derive

knowledge about God from all His revelations and all Christian traditions over the years.

Systematic Theology tries to obtain knowledge about God from Biblical revelations,

natural factors, historical and scientific pieces of evidence. Practical Theologians seek to

understand all that God has revealed about Himself in the Bible together with all other

pieces of evidence with an emphasis on living by those revelations. Historical Theology

explores knowledge revealed by God through history and the unfolding of events with

time. Other types of theological approaches include Moral Theology, Philosophical

Theology, Spiritual Theology, Apologetics, etc.

There are many branches of specialization in these Theological approaches but

we will not mention all of them here nor talk about those we mention in detail. However,

Theological Studies is an attempt to understand God, an aspect of Him or His will by organizing information

and collected pieces of evidence about Him.


it is important to note that it is not possible for any human being to be a master of them

all. Some Christians are specialists in Biblical Theology while others are experts in

Systematic Theology. Meanwhile, the Biblical Theologian primarily focuses on making

meaning out of specific biblical texts, contexts and storylines, the Systematic Theologian

also build on biblical texts but pays less attention to their immediate contexts. Instead,

the Systematic Theologian focuses more on interpreting the biblical texts with respect

to certain sub-topics that are specific areas of interest in Systematic Theology which are

Theology Proper (the study of God), Bibliology (the study of the Bible), Anthropology

(the study of man), Soteriology (the study of salvation), Pneumatology (the study of the

Holy Spirit) and Eschatology (the study of the future). Note that each of these sub-

topics in Systematic Theology is an area of specialization of its own.

Another well-known and commonly used approach to theological studies is

Apologetics. Apologists are people who study the nature and will of God with the

intention of confronting people from other worldviews. In reality, all Christians have

been called to defend the Christian faith in one way or the other;

‘‘But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to

everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear’’ (1 Peter

3:15).

Apologists study the Bible deeply and attempt to derive knowledge about God

and pieces of evidence from diverse fields of understanding. True Apologists are believers

who are always spiritually, intellectually and mentally prepared to clarify specific

objections aimed at unobjectively paralyzing the Christian faith. They also prepare the

hearts of those who unobjectively attack Christianity and sow the Word of God into

those people’s lives.

Apologetic Studies also consist of many branches such as Classical, Historical,

Evidential, Presuppositional and Experimental. Some Apologists are experts in more

than one branch but no Apologist can be an expert in all these branches. Depending on


their field of study, the Apologists will endeavour to understand other worldviews by

carefully studying their presuppositions (foundational assumptions) and inconsistencies.

Many Apologists especially those who engage in debates also study logic and logical

fallacies, errors of biblical interpretation, biblical difficulties, scientific truth,

propaganda and mind manipulation techniques, the reliability of the Canon and many

more topics. According to their areas of specialization, Apologists confront adherents of

Non-Christian worldviews such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, Agnosticism,

Naturalism, Cultism, Occultism, Satanism, Evolutionists, Nontrinitarians, etc., and also

False-Christian worldviews such as Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, New Age

Movements, etc.

Institutions that offer Theological Studies differ and not all Christians forcefully

study Theology with respect to the types and branches of theology described above.

Some Christians are brought up under strict denominational adherences and guidelines

that restrict or limit their capacity to embrace other teachings apart from what is taught

in their church, seminary or Bible School. Others are free to explore from a variety of

Theological Schools of Thought. Hence, we have additional forms of Theological

Approaches such as Catholic Theology, Presbyterian Theology, Apostolic Theology, Full

Gospel Theology, Redeemed Theology, Methodist Theology, Baptist Theology,

Lutheran Theology, Anglican Theology, etc. The differences to these denominational

approaches to Theological Studies range from minor differences to contradictions on

certain topics in the Bible. Hence, over the years, these denominations have developed

their own unique approaches by which their knowledge about God is derived and

organized and also teach the history of their traditions to its followers and members.

Other Theological Institutions consists of a mixture of diverse forms of theological

approaches. The student is exposed to the main or fundamental forms of theological

approaches and can personally test and decide what to accept and adhere to later in life.

There is another category of Theologians who are extreme followers of certain

thoughts that originated from certain historical pioneer figures. Two of such big

movements that are constantly in opposition to each other are Calvinism and


Arminianism. Calvinism is named after John Calvin who distinguished himself during

the reformation movement along with many other Reformed Theologians such as Martin

Luther and Huldrych Zwingli. The Great Reformation Movement gave birth to what is

known today as the Reformed Theology. The foundational beliefs of the Reformed

Theologians are clearly spelt out in the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Arminianism is also linked to many Theologians especially the Dutch Reformed

Theologian Jacobus Arminius. Although both Arminianism and Calvinism originated

from the Reformation era, these Theological approaches have fundamental differences

in their views on predestination and election. It is important to note that many

denominational movements mentioned about are either in support of a Calvinistic or

Arminian approach or a mixture of both.

This chapter cannot end without mentioning the Non-Denominational

Theologians. As the name indicates, the Non-Denominational Theologians don’t want

to adhere to or be controlled by any Denominational interpretations of Godly revelations

and approaches to obtain knowledge of God. Although a Non-Denominational approach

is a unique entity, it obtains knowledge of God from various branches mentioned above

and always associates with many denominations in practicalizing the Christian faith.

Many Christian Non-Denominational movements are engaged in broad outreach

initiatives such as translating the Bible and humanitarian aid. Their Non-

Denominational canopy is usually a strategy to reach out to as many people as possible.

Despite the various approaches and branches to Theological Studies mentioned

above, most Christians in the Body of Christ never study Theology. Many of these

Christians are, nonetheless, under the direct or indirect influence of spiritual leaders in

at least one of the areas of study described above. Those who are not influenced by these

Theological approaches are not many and include some underground spirit filled

missionaries and members of persecuted Christian groups and believers in certain remote

places of the world who have only the Bible as their only source of Knowledge and

understanding of God.


As a conclusion, the field of Christian Theological Studies is very vast with

unlimited knowledge and uncountable approaches to derive knowledge of God. As far as

the heavens are higher than the earth, so is the limitlessness of Theological Studies. May

the Lord guide your steps to the right knowledge of the truth in Jesus Name!


Chapter 3

The Role Of The Holy Spirit

I remember a dramatic event that occurred back in our early secondary school

days. Our biology teacher was to begin the new topic titled ‘The Theory of Evolution’ that

week. Unlike the previous topic ‘The Human Reproductive System’, which the lecturer

approached with much enthusiasm, it wasn’t the case with this new topic. The teacher

entered the lecture room with a downcast mindset, dropped his bag to his table and

requested that we be calm. As young boys and girls, we were captivated by the beautiful

pictures and drawings in this section of our biology textbook and couldn’t wait to hear

our teacher explain these seemingly fascinating scientific discoveries. However, our

teacher began his lectures with very disturbing statements;

‘‘Young men and women, not everyone agrees with what I am about to teach you

today and you have the right to disagree as well if you have an objective reason. As far as I

am concerned, I also don’t agree with most of the content on this topic. Nevertheless, I teach

you this topic because I am obliged to; it is in your syllabus’’.

There was great silence in the class and our biology teacher did not give us his

reasons for disagreeing with some of the content under this topic but I guess I can figure

that out today – he was probably an adherent of another worldview such as Christianity.

However, from the moment he proclaimed those words, we could sense a lack of

conviction, motivation and desire to teach the topic. From the teacher’s attitude of

distrust and lack of conviction towards the Theory of Evolution, it was clear that the

lectures would be less interesting and as far as I can remember, the lectures were horrible.

This event is a good example of the blind trying to lead the blind. We have a non-

motivated, non-convinced and probably guilty teacher trying to teach his students a

topic he is less interested in. How possible is it to teach something you are not spiritually

connected to and are not convinced is true? Hence, the teacher only tried to fulfil a


professional obligation than helping his students understand the full realities

surrounding the Theory of Evolution.

Therefore, truthfulness and trustworthiness are important components of

knowledge dispensation in any field of understanding. Some of the knowledge derived

and taught by people in the world is untrue and unworthy. Sometimes, true knowledge

is badly contaminated by false knowledge and this leads to many unbalanced systems.

Unfortunately, the field of Theological Studies is also not void of untruthful and

unworthy knowledge. As you have probably noticed, the field of Theological Studies is

not only saturated but also very complex and confusing. Earlier, we mostly dealt with

some forms of Theological approaches that have the basic elements of true Christian

doctrine. There exists another vast field of false, heretic and liberal Theology we cannot

explore in this book. All these are available out there and an unled believer who desires

to study Christian Theology can be described as a sheep wandering in a forest inhabited

by lions.

If you were asked to choose from the many Theological approaches and branches

of Theological Studies described earlier, what will be your choice or choices? Truth is,

many believers who engage in Theological Studies never ask themselves this question.

This explains why many Christians study Theology with the wrong priorities.

Hence, the importance of the Holy Spirit in leading believers to the truth.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is revealed as God – the third Person of the Godhead.

The function of the Holy Spirit is unique as described by Jesus Christ;

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will

teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you’’ (John

14:26).

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for

He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will


tell you things to come. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it

to you’’ (John 16:13-14).

If you are a born-again child of God, you have the Holy Spirit who lives in you to

help and guide you to all truths. Notice that in the Bible, Jesus defines truth as being

Himself ‘‘…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through

Me’’ (John 14:6). Therefore, truth can be defined as all things that point to Jesus and

lead a person to God. If a person’s conception of truth is not centered around Jesus nor

leads to the Heavenly Father, it is obviously false information or knowledge irrespective

of what it is.

It is true that defining truth in such a biblical manner raises some eyebrows as

there are many different types of truths. In fact, it is important to know that the truth

which is centred around Jesus and leads to the Father can be derived from one main

foundational source (God’s revelations in the Bible) from which all other explorations of

truths in the world rest. Human exploration to discover other minor truths should,

therefore, be guided by Godly revelations and should utilize at least one or a combination

of six different trustworthy and reliable sub-approaches to discover truth including;

• Axiomatic truth – ‘‘Axioms are so basic and so fundamental in nature that no

simpler categories of truth exist to prove the axioms. They in themselves are

universally self-evident truths and self-evident proof’’ (Dr Johnson C. Philip).

• Logical truth – Logic reduces statements to axioms so that the fundamental

meaning of those statements is grasped. A proper application of logical truth

exposes conflicting ideas in statements.

• Mathematical truths – These types of truth are universal and work within

certain systems. They cannot be used to prove the existence of God but can be

applied to collect axiomatic and logical information related to Him (Dr

Johnson C. Philip).

• Empirical truth – This is truth obtained from research or laboratories

through ‘‘practical demonstration and assessment…with the help of repeated


experiments preferably upon a large sample of experimental material’’ (Dr Johnson

C. Philip).

• Historical legal and logical truth – Here, the truth deriver ‘‘deals with events

that are not repeatable’’ (Dr Johnson C. Philip). Since the truth deriver deals

with one-time events, the researcher tries to reorganize the events to derive the

best possible manner they occurred.

• Relational truth – This truth comes from our relationship with the people and

things we are used to. One must be careful with this type of truth as it can be

mixed with emotions, feelings and subjectivity. Just because your professor is

very intelligent does not mean everything he says is true. You may have looked

at something in a particular way from childhood but that does not mean your

view of it is the right one.

From an intellectual point of view, the

truthfulness and trustworthiness of your approach to

understanding the nature and will of God depends on how well you understand, master

and apply the knowledge derivation approaches described above. The trustworthiness

and truthfulness of your axioms will depend on how well you are able to appropriately

combine and utilize these truth derivation approaches.

At this point, you can understand why there are many different approaches to

Theological Studies. All those different Theological Institutions and approaches

originate from the manner by which they derive their knowledge of God. In reality, given

the current nature of humans and their weaknesses in perfectly handling information

coupled with threats from a sinful world, no Theological Approach is perfect.

This should not discourage you in any way if you want to study Theology.

Although Theology is only an attempt to understand and describe the nature and will of

God for creation, it has many advantages which you will discover later as you keep

reading.

No one can teach better than the Holy Spirit.


This brings us to the main point in this chapter concerning the role of the Holy

Spirit. From Jesus’ clarification of the Holy Spirit’s role above, one can note the

following;

- The Holy Spirit is in all true believers and He is their helper.

- The Holy Spirit helps believers in many ways. However, concerning our topic,

He specifically assists believers and leads them to the truth about everything.

The Holy Spirit does not behave like our Biology teacher who was taking us

down an unknown path. Instead, the Holy Spirit convinces the believer and

assists in deriving and mastering the right, true and trustworthy knowledge

needed by the believer at the time.

- Everything the Holy Spirit teaches the believer is perfect because not only is

He the ‘Spirit of truth’, ‘He hears from God and tells the believer what God

said’. God’s revelations are true, pure, perfect and trustworthy. Remember, He

inspired all His revelations but not all of Theology.

- He, the Holy Spirit, focuses on what Jesus or God says about the issue under

investigation (what is recorded in the Bible). God cannot lie and cannot

contradict Himself. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will not give Mr A one particular

definition of something and then give Mr B a completely different definition

and meaning about the same thing.

- Why does the Holy Spirit function in this manner? Well, as says Jesus, His

main role in the lives of believers is to point to all those things God has revealed

that bring glory to His Name. The Holy Spirit is interested in Nothing else but

on God’s glorification in the believer’s life on earth.

Looking at what Jesus reveals about the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of a believer

above, does it, therefore, mean that the different theological schools of thought are

completely erroneous since many are in contradiction and continually fight against each

other? Does this also indicate that it is better to abstain from Theological Studies? Is the


Holy Spirit really the one inspiring all these diverse and complicated Schools of Thought

in the Theological milieu?

These questions and more will be answered in the coming chapters. May the Lord

be with you in Jesus Name!


Chapter 4

Differences Between The Word Of God In The Bible And Theological Studies

There are many differences between what God has revealed in the Bible and the

human being’s attempt to interpret His revelations and organize those revelations in an

orderly manner. Many of the differences may not be

evident to most believers but a critical look at the

bunch of literature reveals fascinating reasons for

issues we encounter in the Body of Christ. Some of the

differences are slightly described in the table below;

The Word of God in the Bible Theological Studies

Is God’s words and will to humanity. Is an attempt to interpret what God says

in the Bible and other pieces of evidence

pointing to Him in an organized manner.

Is inspired by God The Holy Spirit. Not always inspired by God The Holy

Spirit. Sometimes human thoughts and

concepts are inserted.

Is always true in its entirety. Not everything is true. Some thoughts

are only opinions, assumptions and

suggestions. Some are false.

Is sufficient to the believer. Is never sufficient. It can be developed to

infinity.

Is consistent, trustworthy and true. Sometimes lack logical congruency,

trustworthiness and truthfulness. Some

topics are very confusing.

Interprets itself sufficiently by the help

of the Holy Spirit.

Many time the Word of God is not

allowed to sufficiently interpret itself.

The aim of Theological Studies should be to back God’s revelations in the Bible and not to take the

place of the Bible.


Humans often insert their own opinions

and views to some Biblical statements.

Is written and preserved for everyone in

the world.

The different school of thoughts will

never reach an agreement one day. There

will always be differences and scholars

will adhere only to what they accept.

The Holy Spirit teaches the believer the

Word of God. In fact, the believer is

expected to depend only on the Holy

Spirit to discern what is of God.

Is taught by the Holy Spirit if inspired

by Him. In fact, some opinions are from

Satan and man teaches them, not God.

Theology alone is not the sufficient truth.

It is only a means to assist in

understanding the truth.

Contains some things that are difficult to

understand but can be understood by the

help of the Holy Spirit.

Help to complicate some biblical

difficulties through differences in

opinions, bias and subjective approaches.

Absolutely needed to know Jesus, how to

be saved and how to practice a holy

living lifestyle.

Helps to understand some details about

God and other doctrinal aspects when

inspired by the Holy Spirit but a believer

can live a fulfilled life without it. When

erroneous, it leads to compromise and can

cause one to end up in hell.

Encourages unity, love and peace among

believers.

Sometimes inspires disunity, hatred,

arguments, quarrels and intellectual

pride among believers.

It can be tempting to observe the differences above and arrive at the conclusion

that it is not worth studying Theology. Do not be quick to jump to such a conclusion. It


is true that theological studies seem to add to or subtract from biblical revelations but

there are many amazing facts about genuine Theological Studies. For instance;

• The Historicity of The Bible and Jesus – Through the use of tools such as

Archaeology, Linguistic Studies, Dating Techniques and Historical Records,

we can understand the Bible’s authenticity and how it came to us, whether

Jesus truly existed in this world and performed all the miracles attributed to

Him and analyse discoveries of the ancient world, manuscripts and events that

bring more light to the Christian faith. With the use of these techniques, we

have more insights into past Chronologies, Habits, Cultures, Customs, and

language meanings. From all these, we can sufficiently investigate and

reconstruct many past events. Today, we have a one hundred percent scientific

certainty that Jesus truly existed through records from people such as

CORENELIUS TACITUS (Born Around AD 52), THE JEWISH TALMUDS,

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS (Born AD 37), LUCIAN OF SAMOSATA, PLINIUS

SECUNDUS, SUETONIUS (AD 120), TERTULLIAN, JUSTIN MARTYR,

etc (Dr Johnson C. Philip & Dr Saneesh Cherian). These true historical findings

come from a mixture of Atheists and Believers. You cannot obtain this

knowledge by studying only the Bible. This type of knowledge is not only

important in building your personal confidence in the Christian faith but also

gives you additional pieces of evidence and tools you can use in propagating

the Gospel, especially to Atheists.

• Logical Fallacies and Mind Manipulation: When adherents of other

Worldviews and Non-Believers in general attack the Christian faith, they,

sometimes, employ inappropriate logical techniques to refuse the genuine

Christian position or establish their own false views. Mind Manipulation is a

tool employed by many politicians, business owners, Christian cults and many

of those who reject the Christian faith to keep people obsessed with their own


views. Many mind manipulation techniques can be discovered by reading the

Bible but Theological Studies in a good institution helps to spell them out

clearly. Hence, you can understand how people manipulate other through

Fear, Value Shifting, Expansion, Desensitization, Imprinting, Repeated

Exposure, Appeal to Emotions and Blinding and most important, how to resist

such techniques. By studying Logic and its appropriate use, you can clearly

detect when people engage in research unobjectively and how they employ

logical fallacies to lure people into errors and properly refute their erroneous

views. When the student properly studies the Scripture and submits to the

Holy Spirit, these techniques help to appropriately clarify and divide the Word

of Truth to unbelievers especially those who have been inculcated by false

ideologies.

These are only a handful of things you can gain by studying genuine Christian

Theology. Depending on your need and the type of school, you can obtain additional

knowledge that deepens your understanding of God and the Christian faith and assists

you in clarifying God’s will to Unbelievers.

Therefore, there are clear differences between Theological Studies and What God

has revealed in the Bible. The aim of Theological Studies should be to back God’s

revelations in the Bible and not to take the place of the Bible. Those who rely only on

what they study in their Theological Institutions and who continually preach only their

Theological Concepts and traditions to their followers are making a huge mistake. What

people need is the Word of God. It is the Word of God that has the Spirit of God backing

it and power to transform a person, not Theological Concepts. Your Theology, if truly

inspired by the Holy Spirit, should only assist you in clarifying the Word of God

especially topics that are difficult to understand.

The confusion that exists in the Body of Christ today is because some believers

have grown in intellectual pride. Some because of their conceived pride, dependence on

Theological knowledge alone and resistance to the Holy Spirit’s conviction have been


left to pursue their own desires. Many of these people have ended up creating cults in the

Name of Jesus Christ forgetting that the Bible has the final say about anything, not

human or Theological Views. Others are caught up in certain systems which were started

by humans concepts and waste all their lives trying to defend those individual human

systems and concepts at the expense of God’s revelations.

‘‘I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with

which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with

one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is

one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one

faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you

all’’ (Ephesians 4:1-6).

When you understand that there is only one true church, one Lord, one Spirit and

one God, you will focus more on being a part of that true God and not part of a human

system. Of course, as of the way things are in this world, even if you choose not to join

a denomination or Theological Camp, you are still forced to collaborate with other

denominations and schools of thought to propagate the Gospel. The problem is not being

part of a denomination or Theological Camp; the problem is when the presuppositional

beliefs of that denomination do not agree with fundamental doctrines the Bible teaches

or when the denomination’s adherents develop additional traditions and values that

become more important to them than what God reveals in the Bible. You see, when you

focus more on the traditions of your church or denomination or Theological Camp or

School of Thought, you neglect some important facts;

• Other denominations and Theological Camps also regard their own values and

traditions as the best.

• Other denominations and Theological Camps also believe that they have the

best interpretation of Scripture.


• There will forcefully be competition among values and traditions of different

denominational or Theological schools of thought.

• Those values and traditions from these different organizations can never be

compatible because most are humanly inspired.

• There will certainly be disunity, lack of peace and conflicts when

Denominations and Theological Camps confront each other based on what they

adhere to.

If on the other hand, you focus more on the Word of God instead of trying to

defend your system or denominational beliefs, you will live by the following facts;

• Glorifying God is your main focus even though you are part of a denomination

or Theological Camp. You are not interested in uplifting people and the system

you adhere to above Christ and Scripture.

• You verify that the ideas of your Theological Camp or Denomination are

sufficiently Biblical (you won’t get 100%). You understand that the knowledge

you acquire outside of the Bible should help strengthen your faith and the

Gospel, not to prove the importance of a certain system of belief.

• You understand that the main system you adhere to is the Spiritual Church of

Jesus Christ and the doctrines and values laid by Jesus, the Apostles and God

in the Bible and not any worldly system or traditions or values.

• You respect the thoughts of your brothers and sisters in other denominations

or Theological Camps who accept the basic Christian doctrines despite the

minor differences in opinions on certain topics but you stick to the Bible and

value what it reveals more than human opinions.

• The Holy Spirit is the main Teacher. Sometimes He is misunderstood by

believers who lack concentration. Therefore, you stay close to your Bible and

verify everything that is taught even in your own camp. Don’t be fooled by big

names and titles and avoid depending on human beings. As a matter of fact,


good preachers always lead their followers to read and meditate the Word of

God and seek guidance directly from God by depending on the Holy Spirit; the

Holy Spirit is your main teacher.

• You don’t leave your Theological Camp or Denomination because of minor

differences in opinions except the Holy Spirit leads you to something else.

Although you identify few issues with the true Biblical church you adhere to

(especially with traditions, culture and interpretation of some difficult topics),

you understand that no human system is perfect. Therefore, you stay still, rely

on the Holy Spirit and wisely approach your leaders to express your concerns

if you have the opportunity but learn to meditate and stick to what your Bible

says and trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In the Body of Christ, we see all sorts of arguments, insults and disputes among

brothers and sisters in Christ. What many have not understood is that God knows those

who are His; He knows the faithful among His Children; He knows those who are focused

on glorifying His Name irrespective of their denomination or School of Thought and His

rewards for these faithful people are plentiful. He also knows those who are prideful,

arrogant and claim to know everything yet are disorderly and cause confusion and

disunity and seduce believers to worship humans systems and concepts.

‘‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil.’’

(Proverbs 3:5-7)

May the Lord guide your steps in Jesus Name!


Chapter 5

How To Choose A Good Theological Institution

What To Aim At During Your Studies

There are thousands of Theological Institutions in the world offering seducing

courses on various platforms with different agendas. Some require physical attendance

while others adopt distance, correspondence and online mechanisms. Some demand high

tuition fees, are prestigious and recognized all over the world while others are quite

affordable or don’t require any tuition and are less prestigious. Some Theological

Institutions are mission-oriented, others are pastorally inclined, many are interested in

training spirit filled disciples and few train and develop Confrontational Apologists, etc.

Some require Denominational affiliations or memberships while others are open

to everyone. Many Theological Schools and Colleges emanate from physical churches or

Denominations such as the Catholic, Presbyterian, Apostolic, Anglican, etc. while others

developed from certain Schools of Thought such as Calvinism and Arminianism and

could be either Denominational or Non-Denominational. Many Non-Denominational

Institutions are inspired by a combination of many Schools of Thought. Some schools

and colleges teach general Theology while others offer possibilities of specializing in

specific branches such as Ministry, Evangelism,

Apologetics, Church Planting, Children and Youth

Ministry, Prayer Ministry, Humanitarian Work, etc.

In fact, there are many possibilities and it can be

very difficult to know what to study. Below is a helpful

guide to making your choice:

How To Choose A Good Theological Institution

It is a good idea to attend a Theological School if you have the possibility, time

and means to do so. Theological Studies as earlier said, will broaden your understanding

If your aim for studying Theology is not to know

more of God and obey His will, you study in vain and

build on sinking sand.


horizon. If you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in identifying and defining your study

objectives, the new knowledge you obtain will empower you to trust and preach the

Word of God in the Bible in an efficient and effective manner. There are certain things

to keep in minds when deciding where to study. Many people don’t take some of these

things seriously and find themselves doing what they are not supposed to do in the Body

of Christ. The things include but are not limited to:

• Your calling: Don’t join a Theological Institution because of a mere desire to

become knowledgeable. It makes no sense to acquire knowledge haphazardly

because you are required to apply most of the knowledge you acquire in life. As

you well know, a wise person is someone who properly applies Godly

knowledge. Therefore, it much helpful to have hints of how God wants to use

you before looking for a school. It is true that, sometimes, everyone faces hard

times figuring out God’s plans for life. Nevertheless, God expects us to trust

Him and ask Him for wisdom when we don’t know what to do (James 1:5),

listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and obey His leading. God has many offices

or job vacancies in His Great Commission Project. He is looking for Apostles

to bring the Gospel to new places, Prophets to warn communities of

ungodliness, Evangelists to plant seeds of the Gospel in the whole world,

Pastors to nurture flocks and Teachers to rightly divide the Word of truth. He

is also looking for administrators, Christians to govern, edifiers, comforters,

street evangelists, missionaries, encouragers, Christian humanitarian workers,

God-fearing professionals in diverse fields of life who fear God and desire Him

to work through their lives to influence their environments, prayers warriors,

etc. When God urges you to do something it becomes easier to know how to

prepare yourself to confront the mission.

• Your area of specialization: Don’t be a jack of all trades. Your ministry will

be inefficient and ineffective if you don’t specialize in an area God has called


you to operate in. Once you know your calling or field of operation, you can

easily choose an institution that will strengthen your know-how and improve

your skills and techniques in that field. For instance, if the Holy Spirit urges

you to become an apologist who confronts Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons,

you will obviously choose an institution that offers courses that improve your

understanding of these cults, their techniques and how to confront and refute

their false arguments. It will also be helpful to study courses that clarify

questions about the authenticity of the Bible, its origin, interpretation, mind

manipulation and concerns members of these cults raise and how to sow the

Word of God efficiently in their lives. Given your calling to reach out to

Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons, it is inefficient to specialize in Biblical

Theology or Natural Theology.

• The institution itself: Don’t complicate your life and don’t be deceived by

prestige, names and titles. Never forget that the Holy Spirit is the main

Teacher, not human beings. The Holy Spirit teaches you directly but can also

teach you through humbled and God-fearing men and women of God all over

the world as He pleases. He has the ability to manifest Himself anywhere He

is sincerely invoked. Therefore, there are few things to check out for when

choosing the institution you will attend. First, make sure that it is a Biblical

School. You want to make sure that the institution holds to the fundamental

doctrines – the fall of mankind, salvation by grace and only in Jesus, deity of Jesus,

virgin birth of Jesus and His sinless lifestyle, the gospel, Christ’s death, resurrection

and return, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, judgement and eternal life after

physical death (some to eternal damnation in hellfire and others to eternal joy in the

presence of God). Even if only one of these fundamental beliefs is denied, the

whole institution or School of Thought crumbles. Never join an institution that

distorts these fundamental doctrines. You see, without a good foundation, a

house cannot last long, no matter its beauty. The Psalmist says ‘‘If the


foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?’’ (Psalm 11:3). Keep in

mind that Liberal Christian Movements and Cults deny at least one of these

fundamental doctrines. Some of those movements also have attractive and

prestigious Theological Colleges and courses but you should avoid them. Only

study their courses if you have been called by God to know what they teach

with the aim of confronting them apologetically. Few of these liberal

movements and cults include Freemasonry, Christian Science, New Age,

Jehovah Witness, Mormons, Scientology, Judaism, etc.

Second, understand the Agenda of the Institution. Some Theological Institutions

are only interested in promoting a particular school of thought. Please, avoid them. If

you don’t, you will waste your whole life in polemics rather then adoring and serving

God. These type of institutions usually don’t adhere to some of the fundamental beliefs

or define these beliefs in a manner that suits their values. All they do is raise a generation

of Christians who waste most of their time promoting the values of that School of

Thought. Students of such institutions are trained to involve and focus more on polemics

than the Great Commission. Good examples of such schools are special institutions whose

main role is to train its students on how to defend Catholicism, Calvinism, Arminianism,

Dogmatism, etc. Usually, God’s calling in the lives of these trained believers is mixed

with additional unnecessary goals which deviate their attention from the main goal and

cause them to develop a hatred for their brothers and sisters in Christ who belong to

other sufficiently Bible believing movements.

The reader should not misunderstand the statements above. The problem is not

being part of a Denomination or School of Thought as mentioned earlier. The problem

is thinking that your School of Thought explains the Bible more than everyone else’s

and doing everything to defend the views of your school. By so doing, Theology is not

helping you to advance or promote the Great Commission. Rather, it helps you to raise

all types of polemics and confusion.


Don’t get it wrong; all false doctrines must be exposed. However, it is not from

the angle of your School of Thought that false doctrines are exposed. The Bible is capable

and has sufficient criteria to expose false doctrines and teachers. One does not need to be

a part of your School of Thought to expose false doctrines. One only needs to read the

Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit to recognize and refute false teachers. Focusing on

defending your values and traditions is a weak and ineffective approach to your faith

walk.

Therefore, if the agenda of the school is to promote its values and traditions and

not to train you to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ who obeys the Great Commission

Mission, avoid the school. If you don’t, you will be trained by the School to hate other

Christians because of their views on certain difficult topics in the Bible.

Third, the Cost, Location and Time requirement. Some believers think that

studying in a well-known theological school in the US, UK, Europe or Australia is the

best approach. Others are fooled to believe that the higher the tuition, the better the

quality of the courses. Judging by such criteria is deceptive and erroneous. There are

some free Theological Institutions with very high-quality courses than expensive and

prestigious schools. Except you live in the Islamic world, all you need is a proper research

around your environment. Some denominations and churches have very good schools

and Theological Programmes at affordable prices and sometimes even free of charge.

It is true that some denominations add courses about their traditions and values

but that is okay provided they believe the fundamental doctrines of Christianity and

you can obtain specialized training in your area of calling. Some schools also offer courses

online and it is possible to choose from a variety of options.

Also, you need time and enormous efforts to complete your courses. You need to

assimilate these courses and do your practical assignments.

Therefore, depending on your schedule, you have to decide whether you will do

part-time studies, diploma studies or study a degree. Also, align all these things with

your objectives – whether you target a full-time or part-time ministry or you only desire


a personal spiritual build-up and development. All these things will play important roles

in choosing your institution and planning your studies.

Nevertheless, even if the things discussed above are not very clear to you, you can

still engage in studying Theology provided you verify that the school holds to the

fundamental Christian doctrines and define clear objectives. There are few people who

in the course of studying discover God’s purpose, direction and will for their lives. If the

urge to study is so strong and you have peace about where to study despite not knowing

your calling, go for it. Many the Lord guide your journey to select the right institution

in Jesus Name!

What To Aim At When Studying Theology

• To know more about God: This should be your primary objective. Your life and

everything else depends on your knowledge of God and obedience to His will. If

this is not your primary objective, you study in vain. Some believers study

Theology because they want to occupy positions of honour in their church or

organization but that should not be your primary objective. Others use the

Theological platform as a means to exploit others and enrich themselves. Forget

about Theological studies if your main focus or objective is not to know God.

When God is not your main focus, your priorities are distorted and God is not able

to use you to glorify His name in that condition. The Psalmist and Paul say;

‘‘One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple.’’

(Psalm 27:4)


‘‘But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count

all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have

suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found

in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through

faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the

power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead’’ (Philippians 3:7-11).

• To add essential knowledge to your Biblical knowledge: God has revealed

Himself sufficiently in the Bible but there are some aspects of Him you won’t

know only be reading the Bible. For instance, the History of the Bible and how it

was preserved right up to our recent generations require a study of the historicity

of the Bible. A deep understanding of the cultures, stories, traditions and cities of

the people who lived in times when the Bible was written require a careful study

of archaeological discoveries and the right interpretations and meanings of certain

Biblical expressions in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages. Intelligent Design

is another area of scientific research which shows the inevitable existence of a

Master designer (God) who created all things with precise, complicated and many

unknown details and functionalities yet to be discovered by human beings.

Therefore, there are many scientific research studies that are related to the Bible

and provide additional information and pieces of evidence in support of Biblical

claims. Those which relate to your area of calling are important to know.

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding’’ (Job 38:4).

• To add to your efficiency and effectiveness in answering your call: Your

aim is not to obtain all the knowledge in the world and do nothing with it. Also,


God has not called you to defend the ideas and concepts of human beings. He has

called you to submit to His will and obey His voice. Remember, the Bible is more

than enough and you can perfectly survive without Theological Studies.

Therefore, your studies should only help to broaden your horizon and to obtain a

deeper understanding of certain aspects so that you can improve your efficiency

and effectiveness in serving God.

‘‘… giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge…be even more diligent

to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble…’’ (2

Peter 1:5-11).

• To Better serve God, not human beings: This does not mean that you don’t

have to serve human beings. In fact, all your life on earth, you will be serving

human beings and communities. However, it is very important to note that your

service is primarily to God, not humans. It is God who guides you on how to serve

other people. A good Theological Institution will teach you humility to the Word

of God and the necessity to submit to God’s will by the help of the Holy Spirit,

not human concepts. Some Theological Thoughts have leadership principles and

hierarchical organizations that create fear and force dependence on human orders.

Your aim is to serve God with all your spirit, soul, body and might. Although in

some cases, you might be under authority, traditions, rules and regulations, your

primary aim is pleasing God in all you do. Your primary authority is the Holy

Spirit, not human beings. In some cases, if you discover that there are minor

traditions and values believed by members of your Bible-believing organization

that seem to be wired or contradictory to Scripture, don’t make a whole drama

out of that. You will never find a perfect physical church or organization in this

world. Nevertheless, be determined to be the perfect example who depends on

Scripture in your church or organization. Perhaps, God will use your lifestyle as a


channel to help others in your surrounding consider the nitty-gritty of a Christian

lifestyle.

‘‘In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity,

reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an

opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you’’ (Titus 2:7-8).

‘‘He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked’’ (1 John 2:6).


Conclusion

Over the years, the Christian world has had many famous intellectuals from

various Schools of Thought. Many of these intellectuals have positively aided the

exploration of the Bible and pieces of evidence outside of it in support of Scripture but

others have contributed in creating more confusion by believing that their views are the

standards by which Scripture should be judged. The Bible is perfectly able to interpret

and defend its assertions without human points of view;

‘‘For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,

Line upon line, line upon line,

Here a little, there a little.” (Isaiah 28:10).

An argument often used by many believers to defend their adherence to a

particular Denomination or School of Thought is that you need to have your own

Theological foundation on which to build your faith. The argument continues that you

have to decide to which School of Thought or denomination you belong. However, a

critical look at this argument reveals nothing less than a misconception of the role of

Theological Studies in support of Scripture. If you don’t read and understand the Bible,

you cannot even detect a false doctrine and consequently an erroneous School of

Thought or Theological Institution which compromises the basic Christian doctrines. It

is Scripture or the Bible’s Revelations first before Theological Studies, not the other way

round. Paul says ‘‘For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s

building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have

laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ’’ (1

Corinthians 3:9-11).

It is a mistake to believe that you need Theological Studies to define your spiritual

foundation or standpoint. You have been called by God to die completely to self and

Biblical revelations guide Theological revelation, not the other way round.


focus on Jesus. Paul tells the Galatians ‘‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I

who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the

Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me’’ (Galatians 2:20). The only foundation

of your belief and faith is Christ and the Bible that has been written for you. No

philosophical standpoint should replace this foundation. “He must increase, but I must

decrease. “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks

of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all’’ (John 3:30-31).

You see, a Christian who never studies Theology but constantly reads the Bible

and meditates the Word of God is sufficiently equipped to survive all the fiery darts of

the evil one. However, a Christian who does not study the Bible but depends on the

thoughts of his/her Theological Institution is spiritually paralyzed. If your foundation

is your own Theological point of view or School of Thought, you build on sinking sand.

For this reason, there is confusion, arguments, competition, disorder, hatred,

ineffectiveness and inefficiency in obeying the Great Commission in the Body of Christ

and in the lives of many.

The right reason for your adherence to a particular Bible Believing Denomination

or School of Thought or Movement should be your loyal service to God in the area He

called you to operate and your obedience to His voice. In other words, you are not part

of that School of Thought or Denomination or Movement because it is the best in the

world; that’s deception. You are there because God uses you to reach out to people

through it. ‘‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound

mind’’ (2 Timothy 1:7). ‘‘For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the

churches of the saints’’ (1 Corinthians 14:33).

The misunderstanding of the role of Theological Studies is the reason why some

have replaced the Bible’s Revelations with those invented in their Theological Schools

of Thought.

It is our belief that by now, you have understood what the Bible is and how

Theological Studies can be helpful or used to improve your understanding and defence

of the Word of God. It is also our hope that you have understood that the Word of God


comes first before Theological Studies, not the other way round. Since you have been so

much enlightened, let go of yourself and your selfish ambitions and give yourself

completely to God and He will guide you to where you should serve Him in Spirit and

truth.

‘‘Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy

and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men,

according to the basic principles of the world, and not

according to Christ’’ (Colossians 2:8).

‘‘Let no one deceive you with empty words, for

because of these things the wrath of God comes upon

the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers

with them’’ (Ephesians 5:6-7).

May the Name of the Lord be glorified in your life in Jesus Name!


If you still don’t know Jesus, He is knocking the door of your heart

and willing to reveal Himself to you. You can also become God’s son

or daughter and join God’s household and family. All you need to do

is invite Jesus in your life.

‘‘…If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has

raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto

righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture

says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9-11).

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will

come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.’’ (Revelations 3:20)

Remain Blessed!


References

• General Introduction To The Bible, By Dr Saneesh Cherian M.Div, D.Min, Indus School of Apologetics and

Theology Textbook. No.222R1

• A Calvin Research Group Academic Resource, Module 003A1 Historical Apologetics, Historical/Legal Apologetics

Dr Johnson C. Philip & Dr Saneesh Cherian

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